

Hi After six games during the 1978 season, Alan Page was traded to the Chicago Bears, where he collected 40 sacks before he retired in 1981.Īfter the 1978 season, Carl Eller was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, where he collected three more sacks in his final season.Īfter the 1979 season, Jim Marshall retired. That year, Alan Page accounted for 18 of the Vikings 46 sacks. But for the fourth time in four Super Bowls, they lost. In 1976, The Vikings would win yet another divisional title and would make it to their third Super Bowl in four years and fourth overall. The win was not without controversy fans continued to argue that Cowboy's receiver Drew Pearson pushed Vikings cornerback Nate Wright. The season would come to a disappointing end as the Cowboys would pull off a Hail Mary pass to beat the Vikings in the Divisional round 17-14. In 1975 the Vikings' defense gave up the fewest total yards for the third time in 7 years. Super Bowl IX would be Larsen's last game. However they lost in a 16-6 defensive struggle to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sutherland would go on to start in Super Bowl IX as the Vikings were once again NFC Champions. In 1974, Doug Sutherland would start in place of Gary Larsen and continue for the next seven years. In 1973, Alan Page was named NEA Defensive player of the year as the Vikings would return to their second Super Bowl in five years. With the Vikings intimidating line leading their defense and their future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton leading the offense, the Vikings went on to participate in Super Bowl's VIII, IX, and XI. That year, Carl Eller was voted NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive tackle Alan Page became the first and only defensive lineman to be voted NFL MVP. In 1971 the Vikings for the third year in a row gave up the fewest points and gave up the 2nd fewest yards.
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Meanwhile, Page, Eller and Larsen all made the Pro Bowl. The next year, the Vikings defense once again gave up the fewest points, fewest yards, and recorded 49 sacks. This app combination led the team to their first NFL Championship and to Super Bowl IV, where they lost in a 23-7 upset to the Kansas City Chiefs. Their offense was just as impressive by scoring the most points. In 1969, all four members of the Vikings front line made the Pro Bowl as the defense gave up the fewest points, fewest yards, and sacked the opposing quarterback 50 times. Meanwhile, Marshall, Eller and Page all made the Pro Bowl. In 1968, the defense led the Vikings to their first divisional title. This foursome went down as one of the most intimidating Front Fours in NFL history. Then in 1967, the Vikings drafted Alan Page in the first round. In the next season they acquired Gary Larsen from the Los Angeles Rams.

In 1964, Carl Eller was drafted in the first round. When the Minnesota Vikings first came into the NFL in 1961, they picked up Jim Marshall From the Cleveland Browns in the expansion draft. The building of the Purple People Eaters
